edible plants

[Anorm016]

I know it’s early but I already have an itch for spring. It will be my first real spring with my chickens (they were babies this year). I like to have a garden each yeah and was thinking about growing something up the chicken fence for them...maybe peas or gourds or really anything that y’all have had success with. Something that will grow even with them pecking at it because it would be theirs. For shade and treats...any ideas?

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Mine like basil and oregano and I have not had a problem with them snacking on those herbs.

 

[Sally PB]

They may scratch young plants to death, if they can reach them. You might need to protect the seedlings somehow, long enough for them to get established.

If you want shade, maybe plant the seeds about 6" away on the other side of the fence, then train the seedlings to grow up the fence, like a trellis. Peas and any vining plant would be a good choice.

 

[Anorm016]

They don’t need shade really but I thought for summer 2 birds 1 stone but yeah I can plant them a little off to give them time to grow a bit. I just want it to be theirs to nibble on anytime they want while they are in the coop and fence area. They get out time a lot but thought it would be a nice fun healthy snack for them too. Thank y’all for the input

 

[swamphiker]

If your chickens are like mine they will quickly dig up and destroy a plant if they like the taste of it and have access. My chickens love when I weed the garden since I toss them the weeds, plus I let them dig in the garden for several days after it's finished for the season. The chickens also have access to the compost pile, which they love to pick through, which means I don't have to turn the compost as much.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

When DD was in second grade, we made a big deal about the kitchen garden in the backyard and the chickens. She was very excited, as she could swim in the pool and snack on cherry tomatoes right off the plant, etc. if she got hungry. After school started we talked about making a salad the next day for lunch, using all the things we had in our yard. Including a boiled egg from the hens. When she got home that evening we discovered the hens had figured out how to get into the garden and had eaten the lettuces down to the roots. Poor thing, she was so angry she wanted to stew all the hens for dinner that night.

 

[Alaskan]

The easiest thing is to plant the chicken plants on the other side of a fence with 2x4 inch holes. Then the chickens reach through the fence to eat leaves, but can't scratch up the base or completely tear up the plant.

 

[rosemarythyme]

You could always try something like this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-food-tower.1480872/

Myself, I trellis peas up the back of my chain link run, and the chickens are welcome to eat whatever they can reach. I used to grow carrots in that same bed and they'd steal bites of carrot fronds that way too.

 

[Anorm016]

You could always try something like this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-food-tower.1480872/

Myself, I trellis peas up the back of my chain link run, and the chickens are welcome to eat whatever they can reach. I used to grow carrots in that same bed and they'd steal bites of carrot fronds that way too.

Cool I’ll run some peas up their pen next spring and I’ll definitely try that fence idea you linked thank you! Our chickens are definitely pets that just happen to give us eggs and we like to make sure they have lots of yummy treats. Thank you everyone!!